Do we feel like we’re moving? Explorations on subjective social mobility in Argentina.

The Future of Social Mobility

José Rodríguez de la Fuente

Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET

2025-12-03

Introduction: Why Subjective Social Mobility?

Advances in the study of social (occupational) mobility

The Standard Model of Social Mobility

Why subjective social mobility?

Theories and mechanisms

Methodology

Results

Subjective mobility in Latin America (I)

World Values Survey: direct question on subjective mobility

  • 4 out of 10 people report having improved compared to their parents
  • Venezuela, Argentina and Ecuador are the countries with the lowest levels of upward subjective mobility
  • Brazil, Peru, Mexico and Chile are the countries with the highest levels of upward subjective mobility

Subjective mobility in Latin America (II)

Latinobarómetro: indirect question on subjective mobility

  • 1 out of 4 people report having improved compared to their parents
  • Social reproduction predominates
  • Nicaragua, Colombia and Venezuela are the countries with the lowest levels of upward subjective mobility
  • Chile, Bolivia and Brazil are the countries with the highest levels of upward subjective mobility

Subjective mobility in Argentina (I)

Modelo 1Modelo 2
(Intercept)0.46 *** (0.18)0.32 *** (0.27)
movilidad_objetiva2Ascenso0.65 * (0.14)0.74 (0.16)
movilidad_objetiva2Reproducción0.83 (0.14)1.11 (0.16)
cohorte19601.37 (0.20)1.46 (0.22)
cohorte19701.52 (0.21)1.48 (0.22)
cohorte19801.01 (0.19)0.91 (0.21)
cohorte19900.81 (0.19)0.68 (0.21)
cohorte20000.97 (0.25)1.16 (0.27)
generoWoman1.51 ** (0.12)1.39 * (0.13)
clase_subjetivaMedia alta     0.02 *** (1.44)
clase_subjetivaMedia     0.60 * (0.23)
clase_subjetivaMedia baja     1.85 ** (0.23)
clase_subjetivaObrera     1.37 (0.24)
explicacion_movMixto     2.62 *** (0.13)
explicacion_movEstructural     2.51 ** (0.27)
desigualdadAlgo desigual     0.42 *** (0.14)
desigualdadPoco / nada desigual     0.71 (0.21)
N1359    1345    
AIC1689.06 1504.51 
BIC1735.99 1592.98 
Pseudo R20.03 0.20 
All continuous predictors are mean-centered and scaled by 1 standard deviation. The outcome variable is in its original units. Standard errors are heteroskedasticity robust. *** p < 0.01; ** p < 0.05; * p < 0.1.
Modelo 1Modelo 2
(Intercept)0.26 ***(0.27)0.18 ***(0.33)
clase_encuestado5Directivo-profesional0.33 ***(0.29)0.62    (0.32)
clase_encuestado5Técnico-administrativo0.66    (0.22)0.99    (0.24)
clase_encuestado5Pequeño propietario1.07    (0.22)1.42    (0.24)
clase_encuestado5Obrero calificado0.79    (0.21)0.99    (0.23)
clase_origen5Directivo-profesional2.51 ***(0.24)3.37 ***(0.27)
clase_origen5Técnico-administrativo2.03 ** (0.19)1.84 ** (0.21)
clase_origen5Pequeño propietario1.98 ** (0.20)1.92 ** (0.21)
clase_origen5Obrero calificado1.96 ** (0.19)1.86 ** (0.20)
cohorte19601.52    (0.21)1.49    (0.22)
cohorte19701.58    (0.21)1.46    (0.23)
cohorte19801.04    (0.20)0.91    (0.22)
cohorte19900.83    (0.19)0.68    (0.21)
cohorte20001.04    (0.25)1.27    (0.27)
generoWoman1.53 ** (0.12)1.40 *  (0.13)
clase_subjetivaMedia alta           0.02 ***(1.45)
clase_subjetivaMedia           0.51 ** (0.25)
clase_subjetivaMedia baja           1.58    (0.23)
clase_subjetivaObrera           1.29    (0.25)
explicacion_movMixto           2.58 ***(0.14)
explicacion_movEstructural           2.45 ** (0.27)
desigualdadAlgo desigual           0.42 ***(0.14)
desigualdadPoco / nada desigual           0.71    (0.21)
N1359           1345           
AIC1667.77        1496.41        
BIC1745.98        1616.11        
Pseudo R20.07        0.22        
All continuous predictors are mean-centered and scaled by 1 standard deviation. The outcome variable is in its original units. Standard errors are heteroskedasticity robust. *** p < 0.01; ** p < 0.05; * p < 0.1.
Ascenso vs ReproducciónDescenso vs Reproducción
nobs1345   1345   
edf34.0034.00
deviance2426.492426.49
AIC2494.492494.49
nobs.11345.001345.00
All continuous predictors are mean-centered and scaled by 1 standard deviation. The outcome variable is in its original units. Standard errors are heteroskedasticity robust. *** p < 0.01; ** p < 0.05; * p < 0.1.
  McFadden 
0.09873288